Thomas Garcia A conservation steering committee said Thursday they would like to work together to establish policies that ensure Ute Lake water levels protecting recreation while providing water to Curry and Roosevelt counties. Clovis Mayor Gayla Brumfield said hers and other communities should be willing to work out a compromise that benefits everyone. “We do […]

Kevin Wilson The Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority on Tuesday cut its ties with longtime Program Manager Scott Verhines, clearing the way for him to fill the office of state engineer. He was replaced with Paul van Gulick, an engineer who worked with Verhines when he first started working on the Eastern New Mexico […]

Staff and wire reports Clovis Mayor Gayla Brumfield thinks the appointment of Scott Verhines as the state’s new top water manager is nothing but positive for the Ute Water Project. Verhines was named state engineer Thursday by Gov. Susana Martinez. He is a civil engineer from Albuquerque and project manager for the Eastern New Mexico […]

Kevin Wilson As a light rain sprinkled over the Ute Reservoir, the sounds of protest drowned out officials’ optimistic vision of progress and a long-term solution for eastern New Mexico’s water supply. Hundreds attended Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, commonly known as the Ute Water […]

Cannon Connections: Thomas Garcia The Crossroads Cafe is a favorite restaurant in Logan with homemade pies and cinnamon rolls. By Alisa Boswell: Cannon Connections Around 1900, Logan was established by Eugene Logan, an ex-Texas ranger, as a tent town for the incoming railroad bridge. The more than mile-long Ute Dam, which created the popular Ute […]

By Thomas Garcia: Freedom New Mexico Concerns over the size of an intake structure at Ute Lake for an eastern New Mexico pipeline project dominated discussion Thursday at an Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority meeting in Logan. Members of the ENMWUA met there to discuss details of the $500 million pipeline project that will […]

Kevin Wilson Members of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority had planned Thursday to announce a groundbreaking date for the first piece of the Ute Water Project, and announced it would take place soon. A likely date could be in July — or August, Ryan said, as Congress will be on break. But the […]

The Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority representatives hope to get federal money left over from other projects at the end of the year since the Ute pipeline project wasn’t included in the president’s proposed budget. The utility authority met Thursday morning at Clovis City Hall. Regarding federal money, pipeline project manager Scott Verhines said […]

By Kevin Wilson: Freedom New Mexico If Monday was any indication, 2012 might be a dry year for the Ute Water Project. President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget proposal, unveiled Monday, has no money set aside for the $500 million project, which would pump water from the Ute Reservoir in Quay County to members of the […]

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is pleased that the Obama administration is making water projects and public lands initiatives in New Mexico a priority in his 2012 budget proposal. Congress will use this budget proposal as a blueprint when it develops the spending bills that will fund the federal government next […]

FNM file photo Boaters can cruise Ute Lake for a good fishing spot or enjoy the scenery at the lake. Ute Lake State Park • Location: Ute Lake is three miles west of Logan via N.M. 540. It is 102 miles or 2 hours and 5 five minutes from Portales. It is 84 miles or […]

Argen Duncan The proposed $500 million Ute Pipeline is one of the most critical rural drinking water projects in the United States, New Mexico’s state engineer said Thursday. As one of several speakers at the Ute Pipeline news conference Thursday at the Yam event center in Portales, State Engineer John D’Antonio also said federal money […]

Kevin Wilson New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson paid one of his final official visits to eastern New Mexico Thursday, when he gave $125,000 to Eastern New Mexico University’s digital cinema arts program. Following the ceremony, he took a few questions from Freedom New Mexico and News 3 New Mexico (KENW-TV) reporters.

The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Utility Authority is set to meet at 10 a.m Aug. 19 at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. Included in the meeting will be an inquiry to see if anybody is interested in selling shares of water in the Ute Reservoir until the Ute Pipeline project is in service. Officials have […]

LOGAN — Mu’Allum Thayer, 31, of Portales drowned Friday morning at Ute Lake. A spokesperson for New Mexico State Police said Thayer’s body was discovered about 2 p.m. Friday in eight feet of water about 30 yards from shore. State Police were called to Ute Lake early Friday morning by two women who were swimming […]

Good morning and welcome to the Freedom New Mexico Friday briefing. If your headed north Ute Lake State Park is scheduled to host its traditional all-day July 4 celebration again this year. The day begins with a parade at 10 a.m. in Logan, followed by a horseshoe contest at the park. The fireworks display is […]

By Sharna Johnson: Freedom New Mexico Construction on the Ute Water Project is projected to begin as early as next year with completion slated by 2019, according to the Eastern New Mexico Water Rural Authority. During a presentation to the Curry County Commission, officials laid out a timeline for the Ute Water Project and set […]

By Kevin Wilson: Freedom New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson cleared the way for the next step in the Ute Water Project, signing new legislation Saturday in Clovis. House Bill 15, signed into law in a ceremony at the Clovis-Carver Public Library, changes the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority into a utility authority. The authority […]

Freedom New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will be in Clovis on Saturday to sign legislation creating a water authority for the Ute Water Project. The ceremony is 11:30 a.m. at the north annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library. The bill changes the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority from a joint powers agreement to a […]